Bishan Singh Bedi: Cricketer who spun a web and gave ‘no quarter’

Bishan Singh Bedi, widely regarded as one of the game’s best left-arm spinners who mesmerized countless batsmen with guile, passed away in New Delhi on Monday after a prolonged illness. He was 77.

The former India captain has been unwell for the past two years and recently underwent knee surgery. He was survived by wife Anju, daughter Neha and son Angad.

“He was an enthusiastic student of the game, who had the knack of outwitting a batsman. One of the best spinners this game has ever seen. Absolutely shocked to hear the terrible news,” former India all-rounder Chandu Borde told Business Standard.

Bedi, part of the famous quartet of spinners including Erapalli Prasanna, Srinivas Venkataraghavan and Bhagwat Chandrasekhar, was instrumental in popularizing spin bowling in the 1960s and 1970s, a period when cricket was a turgid affair.

Between 1967 and 1979, Bedi appeared in 67 Tests and took 266 wickets at an impressive average of 28.7. After his retirement, he was the highest wicket-taker for India in Test cricket.

But Bedi was much more than these staggering numbers and statistical nuggets.

Former England captain Mike Brearley described Bedi’s bowling as “magnificent”.

With a gentle walk to the crease, he would tease batsmen with flights and deceive them with pinpoint accuracy.

He was also legendary for applauding every time a batsman hit him for a six.

Bedi was truly an artist at work, seducing batsmen and viewers alike.

Off the field, Bedi was known as a fiercely combative individual, often courting controversy for his outspoken views.

In 1990, Bedi – as manager of the Indian team that lost to New Zealand in an ODI match – became so indignant that he famously said: “Throw the whole team into the Pacific Ocean.”

In December 2020, Bedi was the only cricketer to protest the installation of a life-size statue of former BJP leader and Union Finance Minister Arun Jaitley on the premises of the Feroz Shah Kotla Stadium in the national capital.

The District Cricket Association (DDCA) was embroiled in a series of financial scams when Jaitley served as its administrator.

“Bedi Sahab was a principled man. He was the only cricketer who protested because he was sure what was happening was wrong,” the former Indian all-rounder and member of India’s victorious 1983 World Cup-winning side told Business Standard.

Bedi has never missed an opportunity to vent his vitriol against famous Sri Lankan off-spinner Mutthiah Muralitharan, often accusing him of throwing.

In 2002, Bedi had said, “If Murali (Muralitharan) doesn’t chuck, show me one bowler who bowls.”

As captain, Bedi was known for standing up for his players. During the infamous Test against the West Indies at Kingston in 1976, he declared 97/5 as he feared that the hostile bowling by the West Indies would seriously injure his players.

Bedi’s bold statement meant that West Indies would need just 13 runs to win the match and ultimately win the series 2-1.

In 1974, he was dropped for a Test match against the West Indies in Bengaluru after an interview with the BBC.

During that interview, Bedi made some uncharitable comments against the administrators after India’s loss to England earlier this year.

Two years later, he accused former England pacer John Snow of using Vaseline on the ball (causing the ball to swing extravagantly) to gain an unfair advantage.

Former cricketers revere him for being a strict disciplinarian who gave ‘no quarter’.

“The foundation of North Indian cricket was laid by Bedi Sahab. He taught us how to fight. In the 1970s and 1980s, Mumbai was the center of Indian cricket. He always told us, if you want to get into the Indian team, you have to do well against them. If you messed up on the field, he didn’t care whether you were Madan Lal or Mohinder Amarnath, you would get flak from him,” Azad recalled.

Despite all the fuss and putting on a tough exterior, Azad said Bedi was a ‘softie’ at heart, who encouraged talented players when they were doing well.

“During the 1979-80 Ranji Trophy final between Bombay and Delhi, I scored a century (for Delhi) which helped us win the title. Bedi Sahab was so impressed with my batting that he opened his kit and gifted me his cricket equipment,” Azad explained.

‘Mind you, he was playing county cricket in England at the time and his equipment was imported. So it was a huge pat on the back for a young player like me,” Azad recalls.

“I met him at his home before his death. He was in a wheelchair, but his humor was intact. He used to bowl to me,” Azad added.

Borde said he regretted not being in touch with Bedi over the past 12 months.

“I called him on his birthday last year (September 25). I haven’t had any contact with him since. When Kapil Dev met me in Pune earlier this year, he told me that Bedi was unwell,” concluded Borde.

At the height of the Covid-19 pandemic, Bedi kept himself busy reading voracious volumes of cricket literature.

“Cricket literature is the elixir of life,” he had said.

In life and death, it was his unwavering love for the game that defined Bedi.